A church based on denial
When Ted Haggard returned to Colorado Springs he denied he was going to start a new church. When he and his wife started "prayer meetings" and "Bible studies" that attracted more than 100 people, he denied he was starting a new church. When he registered St. James Church three weeks ago, we announced that he was starting a new church and he denied it saying it was only to help with the accounting for he and his wife’s many paid speaking appearances. Yesterday he announced that he was starting a new church.
Good news, Ted: a church based on denial should be a rousing success in our society.
In an interview with the Denver Post yesterday, Haggard said, “St. James is a church for sinners – for people who have hit rock bottom and people who want to help people who have hit rock bottom. Everybody is welcome: Democrats, Republican, Independents, gays, straights, tall, short, addicts and recovering addicts." Those all sound like good things, so why are many unhappy?
First, questions have been raised about his recovery from the drug and sex issues that caused his downfall in 2006. At the time, a team of counselors came together to help him through recovery and restoration. Fourteen months later, Haggard ended his relationship with the team against their wishes. At the time, H.B. London, vice president of pastoral ministries for Colorado Springs’ Focus on the Family and a member of the oversight team, said that the process of restoration was incomplete. The Christian Post reported that London and the others wished Haggard would have followed their counsel rather than doing what he was doing.
Second, rather than continue with an accountability program Haggard and his wife began making paid public appearances–raising the question of whether he was more concerned about fame and fortune than spiritual recovery. He said all the right things during those appearances, but without the support of an accountability group who knew what was really happening in his life. Quotes like, "People love a good comeback story" run the risk of making it sound more like the appeal of a showman than a humbled person. (Anybody remember Steve Martin in Leap of Faith when the local sheriff revealed his crimes?)
Finally, there is the air of deception created by multiple denials that he was starting a new church–one as recent as three weeks ago. That isn’t the climate of transparency and sincerity that Haggard needs to reclaim an image of spiritual integrity.
We all need second chances. It would be truly fantastic and a testament to God’s healing power to see Ted Haggard completely repentant, changed, and restored. But Haggard’s actions are making it more difficult to accept that that’s where he’s at.
June 28th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
Brian,
My book is out on Amazon this week and I would love to send you a copy, but cannot find a mailing address for you. A description of the book is on my website but a ‘real” copy is on my desk for you. Let me know where I should send it and look forward to your review of it. It is short and affirming for those experiencing loss.
Blessings. Susan
June 29th, 2010 at 8:19 am
Many thanks, Susan! I’ll reply privately.
August 5th, 2010 at 5:52 pm
“…That isn’t the climate of transparency and sincerity that Haggard needs to reclaim an image of spiritual integrity.” The man clearly has no spiritual integrity, thus if he reclaims the appearance of having any, he will be yet again living a lie. Watch many of his earlier works & interviews. It’s clear that the man has been living a lie for most of his career. There simply is no spiritual integrity to “reclaim.” It did not and does not exist.